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Power Play

Through careless comments, politicians risk losing their relevance as the nationís challenges mount

By A CORRESPONDENT

If the speeches and statements given by leaders of major political parties over the last two weeks are any indication, it seems they are as confused as any other Nepali about the state of affairs.

Political Leaders : Engaged in tongue-lashing

From Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala to CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, to leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and other smaller groups in parliament and outside, there is a certain strangeness in way they speak about the nation political agenda. At such a critical juncture in history, democratically elected politicians appear to have lost an understanding of their responsibility to the nation and people.

CPN-UML general secretary Nepal and his counterpart in the ruling Nepali Congress, Sushil Koirala, have shown particular adeptness in changing colors. A few months back, Nepal demanded the deployment of the Royal Nepalese Army against the Maoist rebels. Today he is questioning the functioning of the army when soldiers are risking their lives and limb in the defence of democracy.

On the Maoist issue, Nepal has adopted wildly varying postures over the last four month. Earlier, he said India was backing the rebels. He corrected himself by saying that India had "bucked up" the Maoists. Now Nepal has in effect withdrawn all of his previous statement by saying that the anarchist nature of the Maoists is responsible for countryís present problems.

In the latest political twist, Nepal has declared that a prolonged state of emergency would turn Nepal into a playground for external forces. "It seems Madhav Kumar Nepal speaks the mind of others. If he is genuinely aware about the gravity of the situation, he would not have shifted from one extreme to another," says a political analyst. "As the rest of the world is moving towards modern political discourse, the communist leaders in Nepal are using outmode words and ideas to advance their careers."

Congress general secretary Koirala, too, has made his own strange observations on recent political developments. Three months ago, Koirala stressed the need to deploy the Royal Nepalese Army to quell the Maoists, insisting that the rebel violence could not be controlled without a military response. Now Koirala has altered his stand, saying the army and police alone cannot solve the Maoist problem. His latest plea is for all-out support from all political parties.

What is the basis of Koirala's turnaround? Nothing, if you consider the record of Nepalese politicians. Take the case of former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who is one of the most experienced players in Nepalese politics.

Although the senior Koirala has been reaffirming that his broader democratic alliance proposal is not directed in any way against the government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, his recent meeting with a group of intellectuals showed otherwise. Koirala, who resigned as prime minister last July following differences over the deployment of the army, now wants to end the state of emergency and include the King one of the forces in his new alliance.

As political equations are being made and broken every week, the statements of the political leaders take new form and substance all the time. "Is politics a game of alliances without a cause? Or are there are certain values underpinning it? Do Nepalese political leaders believe in the people or do they just want to fight for personal benefits?"

As there is no better alternative to the polity in existence, nothing can change unless voters grow maturer. In a democracy, voters have the responsibility of judging the leaders and evaluating their performance. How the people view the current remarks of their leaders will probably be reflected in the next elections. n